thyroid issues after breast cancer treatment

mschaben

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone was able to enjoy the holidays with family and friends.. I went to the dr the other day and they check my tsh levels.. My tsh levels are elevated meaning I have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) which would explain the weight gain even when I don't eat much and the extreme tiredness.  My dr started me on Levathyroxine.  I was wondering if anyone has experienced thyroid issues after breast cancer treatment and if so do you have any advice ? Have you had any issues with the meds... My dr is also going to do a thryoid ultrasound also to make sure we aren't missing something else also... Can anyone relate.

Thanks in advance

Mary 

camul

I did

ended up

having thyroid removed. Have been on 2 thyroid meds since 2009.  Was on Synthroid from 2007. - 2009.  Now on 150 synthroid and 5 mcg of another one but can't remember the name.

peony

Hmm-mm-- I had a thyroid

Hmm-mm-- I had a thyroid ultrasound yesterday. So I'll let you know what happens. I already had nodules on it and have been having the u/s done every year. No real symptoms though.

peony

Not good. I'll be having a

Not good. I'll be having a biopsy next Friday.  

cati0314

peony said:

Not good. I'll be having a

Not good. I'll be having a biopsy next Friday.  

thyroid and cancer

I believe my thyroid problems issues occurred before my breast cancer.  I have Hoshimotos...hypothyroid and nodules.  My annual US on my thyroid is coming up tuesday.  My doctor feels that goiters can become cancerous.  Good luck to everyone on this thread.  

 

mschaben

Thank you

Thank you all for your responses.  I am still awaiting my ultrasound. Been pretty nervous as I'm having swallowing issues also.  I will be praying for all of you.  if anyone else can relate please do. Peony let us know how your biopsy results come out.  Prayers and hugs Everyone. 

peony

Results were benign! Dodged another bullet.  Mschaben, you still don't have the US results? Hope you don't need a biopsy. It is not a pleasant test and you, like I, don't need no more trouble!

Apaugh

peony said:

Results were benign! Dodged another bullet.  Mschaben, you still don't have the US results? Hope you don't need a biopsy. It is not a pleasant test and you, like I, don't need no more trouble!

Peony

Glad to here your results were benign.  Praise God!

 

Kiki2016

Radiation induced?

As I had radiation treatment on my left side I will have to have my thyroid closely monitored.  When they radiate the breast area the thyroid may be zapped too.

My primary care physician said we will closely follow it through regular blood work.  She said it could take 10+ years for any damage to show up!

 

good luck!

Rague

I did develope low thyroid

I did develope low thyroid issues after chemo and rads.  However, I've been being checked for posssible thyroid issues basically all my life so it wasn't a surprise when it finally developed.

Up until in the '60's, it was fairly common after a tonsilectomy for radiation to be used on the area to 'prevent the tonsils from growing back'.  My tonsils had been taken out in 1947 when I was about 18 month old and the radiation was done.  Well, they were wrong - my tonsils did grow back and I still have my 2nd set.  So have had testing off and on 'forever'.  As I've been rediculously healthy, the monitoring hasn't been consistant most of the time but the PA (my Primary Care for 20+ yrs) has been checking it annually until I started seeing her every 6 months after my Chemo Dr moved away so now it gets checked every 6 months and I'm on Synthroid.

I have read/heard that it is quite possible that at least one reason for increased incidents of Thyroid issues does go back how many 'kids' had radiation to their throat area after tonsilectomies from in the '20's - '60's and many don't know they had the radiation.  Mom made sure that I knew - obviously at 18 mths I wouldn't have 'remembered' it.

So - I firmly believe that the initial damage that would have eventually'showed' showed up was done when I was very little.  Was it just the 'time' for it to show up or was it brought on/'encouraged' by Rads (or chemo)?   No way to ever know for sure and what difference does it make? NONE!

mschaben

Update

Hello everyone, sorry I haven't updated on this post.  I have ended up going to see an endocrinologist .  She did antibody testing and it came back postive for high amounts of antibodies.  Meaning my hypothyroidism is due from now an autoimmune thryoid disease where my own immune system is attacking my own thyroid trying to destroy it.  Which sucks as I had radiation also for my breast cancer last year and im sure it did its fair share of destroying.  Anyway we are doing frequent bloodwork as well as continuing on thryoid meds.  I am still having difficulty swallowing and neck swelling and pain around my neck and up to my ear which she is saying its all part of the imflammation of thyroid from the autoimmune disease.  As far as the nodules they found we are watching them to see if they grow bigger in order to biopsy.  We will reultrasound in May.  The scary part is not knowing right now if I could have thryoid cancer.  I was told that thryoid cancer can also cause alot of the same issues Im having or also vice versa the autoimmune disease can cause cancer in thryoid also.  Has anyone on here had issues with thyroid and then ended up having thyroid cancer??  One thing I asked my dr was this, so basically chemo destroyed my immune system so when it starts building back up does it just get confused on whats normal body tissue and organs or what?  she said that is a good theory but she can't say for sure.. Anyway basicallly we are having to treat this aggressively and keep on top of things she said.  Thank you for everyones responses.  Hugs to all..

Mary